'Complete Player' in Comfort Zone at Anne Arundel

Mary Milligan jumped onto the junior college scene last year at
Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland and quickly grabbed the
nation's attention. A NJCAA-high 89 points (62 goals and 27
assists) and first-team All-America selection will do that.

Milligan, who is committed to play at NCAA Division I University
of Maryland Baltimore County next year, will start the 2012 season
as LM's JuCo Women's Preseason Player of the Year.

Her team, ranked No. 2 in LM's preseason poll, lost in the NJCAA
championship to Monroe and finished with a 17-2 mark last season.
For Milligan, personal accolades are nice, but she wants to win a
title before she begins her UMBC career. She also gives credit for
last year's offensive explosion to her teammates, who make the
plays around her.

"I hope to keep improving," Milligan said, "keep getting better.
With only losing three people from last year's roster, we can pick
up where we left off."

Anne Arundel coach Jim Griffiths speaks highly of Milligan. He
didn't have flashy stories about her scoring touch, nothing major
to draw from besides her down to earth nature and consummate work
ethic.

"She's a kid that shows up every day, whether it's practice or
workouts in the offseason," he said. "She epitomizes a really good
student-athlete."

Griffiths said it took one-tenth of a second for him to put her
on the roster once he learned she would be attending community
college.

"Hard work, being receptive, really trying to learn the game and
understanding it is as much a mental game as much as a physical
one," he said of Milligan's attributes. "She just has that ability
to see things differently than others."

Milligan, who played at South River High in Maryland, had offers
from a number of out-of-state schools, but wanted to stay close to
home so her friends and family could watch her play.

What transpired last year was the culmination of Milligan being
in a comfort zone with teammates she could trust. It helped her
game evolve. "We all clicked really well," she said.

Playing at Anne Arundel has afforded her and her teammates the
ability to gain experience playing multiple positions on the field.
She grew up as a midfielder with an attackman's mindset, but could
often find herself playing defense just as easily as scoring up
front.

She took almost every draw last season and Griffiths said she is
one of the top defenders on the roster. Anne Arundel only dressed
13 players last season because of injuries, so Milligan, who is
majoring in elementary education and also runs on the cross-country
team, played almost every minute in 2011.

"She's a complete player," Griffiths said. "Defending, clearing,
riding. She doesn't just excel in one area. She was the quarterback
of our offense last year as a freshman. She just is a very smart,
very well schooled player and understands the game."

Even with confidence from having a hot year in 2011, Milligan
said she still gets nervous before every game. She's quiet prior to
the action, focused before unleashing at all angles of the
field.

"I think I play smart and try not to make any dumb or irrational
mistakes," she said. "I try to feed off of everyone from my team.
It's not a one-man show. Everyone does their part."